Republicans Predict Ryan Will Warm Up To Trump

Posted by Political Quarterback17pc on May 07, 2016

Republicans on Friday were cringing at the thought of a Republican National Convention in July in which the chair of the event, House Speaker Paul Ryan, refuses to back his own party's nominee, Donald Trump.

"It's not going to look good when the guy who is waiving the gavel is like, 'Screw you!'" one top GOP strategist predicted.

And that's why Republicans believe Ryan will ultimately throw his support behind Trump's probable nomination. Not because he wants to, but because he must.

"I do think Ryan can be won over," Republican strategist Ford O'Connell, who worked on the McCain-Palin presidential campaign in 2008.

O'Connell believes Trump privately wants to establish a positive relationship with Ryan so he is able to win over conservatives and unify the party behind his campaign before the July convention in Cleveland.

"The next ten weeks are the most important ten weeks of the general election," O'Connell said. "From now until the convention he has to unify the party behind him."

As for Ryan, his goal is to keep a Democrat out of the White House, and make sure nothing erodes his majority in the House.

"If he is out there looking like he's really having thoughtful discussions with Trump, it's a lot easier when he makes an endorsement and has to drag Republican conference members along with him," O'Connell said.